Hey, this is Issa Rae, I am the star of the
new movie, "The Photograph" in theaters now and right now I'm with Genius and we're going
to go Between the Lines.
It is a dream come true to be mentioned in
rap songs. The first reference I ever heard was from Common and I was like, "What? I'm
in a Common lyric." But then I started noticing a common theme and I was like, "Oh, I fucked up."
At this point, I'm only doing new projects
so I don't get name checked as insecure. So, that's really my only motivation. I hope that
rappers continue to name drop me. "The Photograph" is coming out. Hopefully, you can be like,
"I take flicks like Issa Rae, Photograph all day." That's just an example. That's the template,
but you can make it better. Just think of me beyond insecure, but I'm grateful either
way, but let's do better. Challenge yourselves.
"Squeeze" by Amine, my God.
This was a blessing. First of all, I love
Amine so much and I was in his Spice Girl music video playing his prison bae, but I
was cussing him out. So, was he really my bae? No. I definitely practiced in the mirror.
I never rap in the mirror, that was just something I came up with for my web series, Awkward
Black Girl that I knew I wanted to keep in "Insecure" and as a part of "Insecure." But yeah,
it's just a good way to pump yourself up. When I'm practicing, it's so I can see what
my facial expressions are looking like so I can be as animated as possible or chill
as possible. You're literally seeing yourself and in a way, that you never get a chance
to. So, it's very useful.
"Black is Gold" by Wale.
He got my heritage up in there. Shout out to my dad. I didn't necessarily claim my Senegalese
side super hard because I didn't, I speak French, but I don't speak Wolof and certain
African communities were so tight knit and had been born and raised there and so I didn't
necessarily feel like I fit in with them, but I was always proud of where I came from.
And my future, potential kids will know that they're Senegalese as well.
We have "Sue Me" by Wale. Wale!
I mean, I made it a hot line, he made it a hot song. Thank you, Wale. This is amazing.
When I tell you I did not want to go to the Emmy's that day and I was forced. So, me being
on the red carpet was just like, "What question you got? Okay, cool. Yeah, this is my answer."
And then, no. So, in short, I had no idea that a quick red carpet interview that I did
would have the impact that it's had. And, I'm honest, I'm glad that I went that day.
Thank you publicist for forcing me to go.
China was making shirts out of it, run me
my money, China. It was Chinese websites that were buying domains like black pride, black
sister, my sister, whatever. China, run me my money. I was so mad. People were like,
I bought your shirt, girl. Came up. And I was like, "I am not selling shirts. I would
never do that. So you bought a shirt from somebody in China. Great."
Bbymutha, "Janis Ian Dyke".
I liked her energy in this. Broken pussy bitches beware because
Bbymutha's coming for you. "Mean Girls" is a classic. It is a staple. So, Janis Ian rebel,
kind of a mean girl too. Was Janis Ian a little bit of a mean girl? She's very judgy. So,
broken pussy came about after a conversation between me and Larry Wilmore. The conversations
that I would have with my real life friends and one of my real life best friends in particular,
I said that to her.
And it was like, "what? Whatever show, whatever
we're writing, we're putting that in there." And as the pilot evolved, we had the idea
to make that essential part of this, this rap that Issa goes up to perform. The lyrics
changed as the drafts evolved over time, but for the most part, that core broken pussy
bar stayed in there. And it's just crazy how many people come up to me on the street and
say broken pussy to me as if my pussy is broken. It's not.
"Situated" by Pharoahe Monch.
This is black as fuck. Playing spades with Issa Rae. Why he playing spades
with me? He thinks I'd be a good partner? I'm so honored. I'm not a good spades partner,
but shout out to Pharoahe Monch for thinking so. I wonder why he associated me with playing
spades it it because spades and Issa Rae rhymes? And Tanqueray? Oh, look at that. It rhymes
more with Tanqueray, then spades. I don't play it often, so when I get in and when I
get three, four games in, then I'm good. But obviously, that's not useful to my partner.
So, I need to do a newbie's round of spades first and then I'm untouchable.
"Insecure" by Fabolous.
I'm surprised that it took someone so long to make this rhyme specifically
because people always, story of my life, especially coming up career wise, people be like, "Oh,
Issa Rae's coming." And people would be like, "LisaRaye?" And then they'd be like, "No,
Issa Rae" and they'd be disappointed. Now I know how they felt. I was like, "Oh shit,
wait, run that back." It's so funny, I tweeted just the lyrics and so many people guessed,
I don't even know this song, but I know this is a Fabolous bar. After this song and after
this particular bar, it's kind of a wrap. You can't do anymore. Okay, we get it. You're
insecure like Issa Rae. Ha, ha, ha. It's done.
"God Speed" by Royce da 5'9", which is very
ironic title given these lyrics.
That's a visual. It's not one
that I would partake in, but like, I get it. I get the word play there. Yeah, it's just
not on my menu.
"Go Girl" by Ro James.
I was just
randomly listening to music, listening to the hot new songs in my car and got to the
third verse and was pleasantly surprised to hear this song out loud and I hit up Wolf
and I was like, "This? What? What did I do to deserve this?" I just felt so honored.
This song in particular and to be a part of it, felt, I guess to me like, with the R & B
music, it has gone the way of my "Suck my dick bitch, if you know it what's good." It's
always very provocative, it's less romantic and to be a part of a song like this that's
praising black women and takes us back to the nineties era, through the video, through
the music, it just made me feel nostalgic and it makes me want to see more of this and
to hear more of this kind of representation.
I'm especially excited to be a part of a movie
like "The Photograph" which pays homage to those films of the past, like "Love Jones"
and "Love and Basketball" and takes its role seriously in terms of incorporating the images
that we want to see in the mainstream again.
"Nonchalant" by 6LACK. 6LACK, sorry.
And I read it right on purpose because I know what you meant, 6LACK-Black, but you know
I appreciate the drop. If I didn't feel insecure, I would be a superhero. I think that I'm for
sure, very confident, but do I have insecurities? Absolutely. Do those insecurities shift over
time? Yes, but I will never not be insecure about something.
"Cranes in the Sky Remix," Common.
This is my first
name drop ever and I saw it on Twitter and I screamed. I was like, "What? What this bitch
talking about?" And then I looked up the song and it was in a Solange remix, no less. So,
it was just like all my worlds coming together. I used to have a huge crush on Common back
in the day. So, if only high school me knew Common was going to shout you out in a song
one day, those days would have been brighter. You know, I'm a ray of sun. Let it be known.
They had something in common. Yeah.
A little punny here and there. I do this show and so that was the reference. It was a reference
to the show, not necessarily a personality trait of mine. My favorite mention, I'm going
to have to say all the ones that don't have insecure. I mean I loved Amine's mention to this
day because that song goes so hard. And Common because he popped my rap cherry. And I love
Wale because he turned "Sue Me" into such a beautiful, beautiful song.
What was the wackest one? Why you gon'
do that? There were no wack ones whatsoever. I'm not doing that so they could be like...
In that bitch Issa Rae. No, I don't want to change the bar. So, everyone stellar job.
Drake.